Tori Karpenko: Inside the Liminal

My artwork is rooted in a sense of place, and for me, the most special place of all is the wilderness of the North Cascades. ‘Inside the Liminal’ pays homage to the unique colors and dynamic textures that sparked inspiration, discovery, and renewal at times when I intentionally pursued the solace of liminal space through solitude in the mountain wilderness. Where liminality was originally most often used to describe a specific stage in rituals tied to cultural contexts, I am using this word to speak of an evanescent and fluid state of mind found in a more personal ritual.

I find it most often in the studio and the deeper I go into the mountains. The symbiosis of studio and sojourn creates a profound conversation between raw experience and deeper contemplation as I bring elements of wild space to life in a painting. Liminal creatures such as the fox figure prominently in mythology as shapeshifters and spirit guides, while images of shadows, reflections on water, bridges, transitional moments between seasons, death/rebirth, and the eclipse capture a blurry boundary between worlds.